Sligo Continued

Friday August 28th

I woke up on Friday and made myself a breakfast of cereal, NY style bagels and some instant coffee. I sat in the cozy kitchen and nibbled away. When Brendan came in we started getting ready for a day out. The day was grim. It looked like the coming of the apocalypse. Sheets of rain, dark skies, biting cold winds. I could barely see Benbulben through the fog.

We started our day with a quick drive to the monolithic cairns. It was too wet to hike way out into the fields to see the biggest ones but the museum had a fascinating exhibit. The cairns pre date Stonehenge by something like 3,000 years. it is unbelievable. They are scattered all over this area of Ireland. In fields, along the side of the road. There is a big one on the top of one of the mountain known as Queen Meave's (see also Queen Mab) Grave. There are lots of stories about Finn McCool. We got to see one right on the side of the road. It was amazing to be so close to things that are that old and man made.

Next, we hiked up to this gorgeous waterfall. Apparently at certain times the waterfall runs up hill. Like, backwards or so Brendan told me. I really couldn't tell if he was pulling my leg but I believed him. We also drove to Strandhill where I had planned on going surfing. After standing out on the cliff looking over the treacherous, stormy sea I was glad I had not booked my lesson. Yes, I may have surfed a half dozen times or so but I was not ready for this level of difficulty!

We took a drive out to Yeats grave. I took a walk around the grave yard and it was here that I first started truly feeling my Nanny's (great grandmother Molly, she was my best friend until she died when I was 15), presence. She grew up in the shadow of Benbulben and all of the stories she used to tell me started flooding back. Brendan and I got some lovely soup and sandwich at the gift shop and when we emerged the sky had cleared. It was a dazzling and sunny blue and it had warmed up quite a bit. We started driving to Nanny's old house. I looked at Brendan and said that I thought Molly sent the clear skies and he said he was thinking the exact same thing.

We arrived at the cottage I had always heard about. The one nanny grew up in. I could imagine her and her 12 siblings growing up here. i saw the field with the cows and donkeys where the black and tan shot at them. I saw the rose bushes. The school where they all went was right next door. One half for the boys the other for the girls. It seems to be a big artists studio now.

I was totally overwhelmed with emotions. I felt nanny with me more than usual. I started talking to her. Picked up a rock from the path. I wished I had been able to go inside but sadly the cottage is not in our family any longer.

From there we went on to drive all around the area where nanny grew up. We went to this massive estate where she used to sit by the water and play on the grounds. We drove up Benbulben and down to the sea. I picked up a smooth stone. It would become my worry stone. nanny always had one. A stone she would rub between her pointer finger and thumb to ease her nerves. We talked a bit but mostly we were quiet and thoughtful, soaking in all the beauty.

That evening we went to see Cian's Junior GAA match. Their team lost but I LOVED it! The game is really cool. Like soccer but you can use your hands and there are two different ways to score. Also, standing out by the field and looking around you seeing mountains and rolling hills everywhere makes everything better.

We had dinner at The Bistro, their favorite Italian place in Sligo town. They took Grandpa and Mandy there when they visited. We all ordered pizzas. The owner came over to say hello and when he found out I was from NYC he got very nervous. He said New Yorkers really know their pizza but he was encouraged by the fact that his pie won best pizza at the contest in Las Vegas (where Giove's from Trumbull, CT won 3rd place, random, small world!). The food was excellent and we didn't finish eating until after midnight. When dinner was through we dropped Cian off for a sleepover and the adults headed to Harry's: The pub with the well. It was a cozy spot full of friendly locals. There is in fact a well in the back with fish swimming around in the bottom. We met Fenton, the publican, who asked me for a kiss. I didn't hear him at first and he got very offended. He was a giant of a man who was wearing sandals in 40 degree weather. He was really funny and we had a grand time. I drank my first Guinness of the evening and could barely touch my second. I was so exhausted at this point that my cousins in Sligo must have thought I was a teetotaler. I wish they could have seen me on one of my proud nights in NYC or even Dublin downing Jameson and Guinness for hours like I was born to do! Ha! We took a taxi home and I fell asleep once again the moment my head hit the pillow.

Hello Sligo

I have been putting this off for so long.
I don't want to finish my blog because once the writing is done I have to face up to the fact that I am no longer tripping all over the world.

We begin...

Thursday August 27th

On the flight to Knock the plane was almost totally full of young men and woman who were flying into town for a wedding. I was sitting next to the bride and groom. I didn't talk to them but I liked being close to their radiant excitement.
I arrive at the airport and it is very tiny. There are pictures of famous Irish men and women on the walls, images of Pope John Paul II's visit, etc.

I was meant to meet my distant cousin Brendan at the airport. We had never met, I have never seen a picture. I figured he'd probably spot me though. I was the only 20 something dressed all in black, with giant sunglasses, a backpack the size of a small toddler, a giant bright blue rolling duffel bag and a fabulously large brown leather purse from Paris. I could only be his cousin from NYC.

Brendan knew me right away.
I guess I sort of stuck out like a sore thumb. We decided to have a cup of coffee at the little pub in the airport. We chatted a bit and headed out to the car. The air was unmistakable. I was back in Ireland. Only here it was cleaner and brisker than in Dublin. All you could see was green and hills and mountains. It was grey but I felt like I was about the be in heaven.

I made the silly mistake of trying to get into the drivers side. I forget about driving on the opposite side sometimes.

I thought we would go straight home but instead we just drove and drove and drove we saw the lake from all sides. I was stunned by the beauty of the place. Sligo is amazing and it's where my family is from. It was magic to be there.
After seeing a nice part of the country side we headed into Sligo town to pick up Eileen, Brendan's wife, from the bank where she worked.
We got there a bit early so we had a walk around the city. It was small and sweet with a surprising amount of shopping!

We get Eileen and headed to Una's (Brendan's mom) house. Una was not there but Tim (her husband) and Tina (her daughter) were. They have the most glorious view of Benbulben mountain from their home! We had coffee, chatted watched a bit of TV and then finally went to Brendan and Eileen's. Their house is stunning! It is this wonderfully homey, well kept, happy place. Big and yet somehow cozy. It felt like a very posh cottage. Eileen cooked us a lovely dinner. I had so many potatoes! I also met Brendan and Eileen's adorable son Cian. he is 12 and smart and cute and silly and I love him! It was so nice to be around a kid again!
Jamie, Brendan's brother came for dinner. He was so nice and funny! I had heard so many stories an Jamie and Hazel (his wife) and Brendan and Eileen and Cian and Una and Tim and Tina, it was amazing to finally meet all of them! After dinner Una popped in and so did Pat, their neighbor. I was so overwhelmed by all of these new and lovely relatives. I didn't quite know what to do with myself.

Brendan and Pat invited me to the pub but I was too exhausted. I curled up in the coziest bed I had since the Dylan in Dublin and slept the sleep of the guiltless.

I have not forgotten you loyal reader(s?)

I have been putting off finishing this blog for a few reasons.

1. I don't want the trip to be over and once I finish writing about my last week in Ireland it really will have ended.

2. I have had a massively exciting and eventful couple of weeks in the states.

3. I am lazy.

The end is in sight though... patience :-)

Last Day in London...

and oh what a day it was!

I woke up after Kara left for work and took a shower.

When Mark woke up we started discussing the recording we were going to do.

Originally he was only going to record me singing scales on a few different vowels for use in possible future recordings but the night before I had sat up listening to his demo on loop and started writing away.

I came up with two skeletons of a song and one that felt really complete.

Tiphaine popped her head in and said she'd like to warm up with me so we did.

It was lovely but in the middle of warming up I realized how truly unpracticed and out of shape my voice was.

After warm ups I donned the headphones and started singing my scales. It was an odd feeling. With the phones on, singing one extended tone at a time it felt like my voice wasn't a voice at all, wasn't even coming from me. It was scary at first and I didn't feel very confident but Mark gave me encouragement and adjustment when needed.

When the scales were done I just sort of plopped on the couch. Mark asked which track I had been listening to when I was inspired to write the lyrics. From there he played the song on loop and I started trying out bits of melody. After a few times through I had a pretty solid melody and structure going and Mark had added some additional stuff to the track. We then recorded a few takes. It was terrifying and exhilarating and difficult and wonderful all at once.

The recording session was really a gift. I have been inspired to write again, to sing again, to take care of my voice again. Mark and I will most likely continue to collaborate musically (along with a million other things but that is for a later post...) We ended our session with a great, big hug and a few inspiring words :-)

Let me say something about Mark...

When I met him I immediately liked him. In fact when I first spoke to him on the phone for less than five minutes I liked him. We are very much alike in all of the good and bad ways. But mostly Mark brings out honesty, creativity, ease, happiness and all the good things in me. He has become so immensely important to me over the past month or so and I am so amazingly grateful to have him in my life. When I finally get to writing about the states again you will more fully understand why and how he has become so much more a a part of so many facets of my life.

Kara returned from work and we had linner (lunch/dinner) @ Troubadour. It was very tasty! Kara and the cute Hungarian waiter encouraged me to order Bannoffee Pie. It is this absurdly rich concoction of cream, bananas, toffee and graham cracker crust. I am not one to be dainty about food but I definitely could not finish it!

When the meal was complete we headed back home to get ready for the Bad Ass Mo'Tash party!

Mo'Tash is a charity that raises money and awareness for Testicular Cancer. My friend Mark and some of his friends have put together this non profit PR company that supports charities, garners interest and support amongst young professionals in all fields and comes up with creative ideas to fundraise. I would personally like to start a branch of this group in NYC...

Anyway, the party was at Movida and it was a blast.

Kara, Tiphaine and I got all dolled up and hopped the tube.

On the elevator we took note of a handsome man.

When we arrived at the party we made our donations and put on our fake 'tashs.

After getting our drinks I noticed that the handsome fella from the tube was at the party.

I figured I had to mention to him that we had seen him and when I did he smiled and said he thought he had seen us too.

He then walked back to his table of friends. There was a brief moment of pointing and discussion. Then Kara, Tiphaine and I were invited over. We started chatting away and having lots of fun. I met Clay (the aforementioned guy from the tube), Dave and Pete. Dave and I hit it off immediately. He is this very charming, funny, smart guy who reminds me very much of a long, lost Beatle. He is a musician and it turns out we both have our roots in Sligo. I think we really bonded over this fact. Pete is also a musician and a very nice guy. He has one of the coolest looks I have seen in a while. Sort of like Yeats or something. Old fashioned, sleek, bookish. I dig it.

We also met Michael, a German actor/musician who is ridiculously handsome and sweet , Michael who was an amazing dancer. He really killed it on the dance floor and this guy Andy. I don't remember what Andy does but he is tall, blonde, funny and very charming.

As a matter of fact we met a lot of people but I can't possibly remember them all! They were all so pretty and fun and lovely and charming. Damn those brits and their charm!

The one person who sticks out the most in my mind is Esme. She is this little red headed thing. She is absurdly smart and fun and kind. I would very much like her to visit NYC. I think I have a girl crush on her.

When the party ended the tubes had stopped running so Kara, Tiphaine and I took a double decker bus! Score!

In the morning I said goodbye to Kara, Lottie and Mark. Tiphaine sweetly rode the tube with me to the Gatwick Express. She is such a dear friend. She helped me carry my bags and told me how much it meant to her that we became close and told me, very genuinely that I now had a home and a family in London.

I am so thankful to Kara and Tiphaine and Mark and Lottie and the other ladies of Whetherby mansions for hosting em and making me feel so at home. I am amazed by the people I met. How open and interesteing they all were and how they really made such an effort to make me feel welcome. London holds a lot of possibility for me and I can see myself living happily there for at least a period of time.

I was desperately sad to leave but very excited about the prospect of finding my roots in Sligo and getting to see the few people in Dublin who had been on my mind since I left...

Labor Day blues, I'd rather be in London

I have a lot of time to kill on this Labor Day Monday and I am feeling a bit low so I figure I'll try to finish up writing about the London leg...

Sunday- Kara was taking Bjorn for his birthday surprise which was a mime show. I can't remember the title but with them heading off it left me with a free morning and afternoon to myself.

I decided to go to Harrod's for a bit of window shopping.
I entered the store as it opened with the throng of other tourists and Sunday shoppers. You were only allowed to browse for the first half hour. After that, the shopping was allowed to begin. I truly though I would purchase some gifts while I was there but I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of things. The store is lovely and The Harrod's specific merchandise was enticing but mostly it felt like Bloomingdale's. I tired myself out with fantasizing about the designer gowns and one of a kind shoes. I needed sustenance so I had a quiet lunch at Cafe Harrod's, even allowing myself an afternoon glass of wine. The food was not stellar but it did the job and I moved on out of the store.

Next I went to the Tate modern. Kara had said I would probably only need about an hour and a half to get a feel for the museum but I could have stayed all day. The museum is stunning and as you are walking around you almost feel a sense of anticipation verging on a feeling of danger. You literally never know what might be around the next corner. I saw a lot of Warhol, there were some really interesting video exhibits, something called "Ghost, no shell" where a few artists created a fully explored identity for a minor anime character. They actually purchased the copyright for the character in the character's name so now there is no actual ownership of the image. it was an interesting and trippy thing. I found myself wishing I could spend the whole day in the museum, alone, disappearing into the anonymity of the crowd.

After the Tate I met up with Kara and Bjorn. We had a pitcher at Pimm's outside of Doggett's and then walked down the south bank towards the London eye. We crossed the Thames and saw Big Ben and headed out for a cheap and tasty Mexican dinner near Rada. We weren't quite ready to call it a night so we decided to see "Inglorious Basterds" in Leicester Square. Going to the cinema in London was different. They were only showing one film at this very large theater, the seats were assigned as though you were seeing a play, they serve salty and sweet popcorn (I like them mixed together) and they charge a ridiculously high ticket price. The movie was typical Tarantino, gleeful in it's violence but I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
We were all pretty drained after the film so we headed home.

Kara and I went into Mark's room to make sure the plans for the next day were still on. Kara had gotten her and I ticket's to go see "The Drunks" at the RSC in Stratford upon Avon. It turned out that she was no longer able to go because there were no trains back to London until the next day and she had work early in the morning. So, Mark, sweet as always agreed to move some stuff around and go with me. But, when we got home we found out that our dear friend and flat mate Tiphaine had gotten some upsetting news about her most recent film. It was decided that she would come to Stratford upon Avon with me instead. Kara went to sleep but Tiphaine and I stayed in Mark's room with him for a chat. We stayed there until about 4 in the morning. it was a really special night for me. We talked about a lot of things. A lot of them very difficult. There were tears and laughter and signing and everything in between. I bonded with Tiphaine and Mark in a way that I hadn't before and I am very grateful for it. During that evening it was also decided that Mark and I would work on some music together. He wanted to sample my voice and maybe I would try and come up with some lyrics for some tracks he was working on.

Monday/Tuesday- Tiphaine and I headed out on the train to Stratford upon Avon. It was a two and a half hour ride and it just flew by. We talked, talked, talked. She has a lot of ideas and projects she wants to work on in the theater world over there so she picked my brain about The Vagabonds. It felt good to talk to someone who was really enthusiastic about their art and their goals. It helped to reinvigorate me. To remind me of what I really want out of my life and my career.

We arrived in SuA a few hours before the show. We checked into The Avon Hotel. Our room was in the basement but it was fine. A place to lay our heads. We walked to the theater and I was amazed at how small and quiet the town was. I am always either in the city or the suburbs. I like the idea of a small quiet place. I wonder if I could live somewhere like that or if the smallness would drive me mad at some point?

We arrived at the courtyard theater with time to spare so we grabbed some dinner. Soup and a jacket potato. Very British. Because the show was still in previews they weren't clod out and we got our seats upgraded. The show was amazing. It is a modern play written by to Russian playwrights who are brothers, I think? The RSC is stupendous. Obviously, they are world renowned but I can't even begin to describe how they made me feel. I have seen so much theater, so many wonderful actors and beautiful plays but this transcended all of it. The company was so seamlessly entwined, the energy was so consistent. I was drawn in the entire time and the hour and a half flew by. It was very cinematic and very real and grounded. I left the show feeling like I was on some sort of mood elevating drug. It has been my dream to see a show in SuA performed by The RSC and not only did it not disappoint, it exceeded all of my expectations.

Tiphaine and I went to sleep and woke up early the next day. We had a big breakfast at the hotel and went out to do some sight seeing. We went to Shakespeare's birthplace. I got very excited when I found out Thomas Jefferson and John Adams visited the site together in 1788 (I think that was the year...). After seeing the house we went out into the garden and started talking to these guys who were in costume. It turns out they were actors (big surprise) and they were out there to do scenes and monologues. We also found out that they had been at the performance of "The Drunks" the night before. The younger of the two gentlemen informed us that he had seen us at the show, that as a matter of fact he had seen us earlier that evening walking from the train station to the hotel and again this particular morning looking at our map and seeming lost. There goes my theory that we are really fairly anonymous in the world and that ti probably doesn't matter what we look like because no one is paying attention. Tiphaine and I went to a few other historic spots, including Shakespeare's grave.I wish we had more time in SuA because the massive Shakespeare nerd in me was so excited to be there. I will definitely be going back next time I am in jolly, olde, England.

After getting back to London Kara, Tiphaine and I had a long talk about upcoming projects in London that Kara and Tiphaine are planning together. I acted as advisor and facilitator and it made me want to stay in London to keep working with them. After our chat the ladies headed out to Notting Hill for some shoe shopping and dinner. I bought the most amazing pair of open toes, spike heeled, faux snake skin booties. We had dinner at a place called The Castle. then, we went to meet up with Kara's friend Ash at Market Place Bar. he is this really cool Australian guy who works for the BBC. It was his last night in London for a year. He is travelling around the world and I am really impressed with his plans. he is much better about roughing it and living on a budget than I am. If I could learnt o alter my travelling style I'd probably be ale to jaunt for longer than a month at a time. Ash was very appealing, funny and charming and down to earth. he is sort of a Johnny Depp type, slender, tall, long hair that is going gray at the temples and is pulled back in a top knot. I liked his energy a lot and I am glad I got to meet him.


To be continued...

I am back in the states...

but the next several posts will still be about the journey. Let's pick up where we left off...

London...

Saturday- Lottie planned a flat mates picnic and I was lucky enough to be around for it.

The ladies all congregated in the kitchen and made lunch. There was much chopping and scrubbing and mixing and smiling. It felt very old fashioned and sweet and I think it set the tone for the rest of the day. We finished making the lunches and walked out across the street to The Earl's Court garden. It was a perfect afternoon. Sun breaking through the clouds. Mark and I, as usual, played photographer. Soon, Bjorn showed up. I was thrilled to finally meet the man Kara loves. He is this tall, lean, blonde being. So full of energy and joy and honesty. After good food and good wine and Ribina we convinced Bjorn to perform on of his original mime performances for us. He did something called a life in eight minutes. I was smart enough to turn on my video camera and I am so glad I did. The piece was very moving and it was so special to see it in that garden on that day surrounded by those people. It was so idyllic. Like something out of a Jane Austen novel just set in slightly more modern times. I began to imagine my life that way which I know is not realistic. Even the people living in Earl's Court Square don't picnic with their flat mates every day. But, while on holiday and discovering new things and living out life long dreams, it's easy to forget that the sheen of seeing and doing for the first time never lasts forever.

After the picnic Bjorn, Kara and I went for dinner at the Troubadour.

I had an amazingly tasty vegetarian bangers and mash and 2 for 1 Singapore slingers. We sat in the garden and had a LOVELY time.

Kara and I headed home and got ready to go to one of the coolest places I have ever seen. A little place called Shunt. Kara, Tiphaine and I all made our way to this place that i had been hearing about for days. We got off the London Bridge stop and as we walked out I noticed an unmarked door with a line up of people outside. This, I was told, was the entrance to Shunt.

When you walk in you quickly realize you are going to be in tunnels. Whether they are unused tube tunnels or tunnels beneath London Bridge I don't know but the tunnels just go on and on and on and on...

Apparently, the club has different live performances, performance artists etc each night. When we were there they were showing old silent films on the brick walls, there was a cool Japanese DJ and visual artist, etc. It was insane. I felt like I was on another planet. We sat and watched the silent films for a while. I narrated, making up ridiculous stories and voices. After a while we attracted an audience. It was a lot of fun. We also danced with wild abandon on the floor. no one else was really moving but I felt really free. There is nothing like being in a place where almost no one knows you.

We ended the night by catching a set from the DJ. He was wonderfully cool and fun and listening to him spin I turned off my mind for the first time in what felt like years.

London continued

Friday - Kara and I woke up, took showers and went out to do our wash. We picked up some Starbucks and headed to The Old Brompton Cemetery for a walk. It is a beautiful old place. Some of the graves are totally overgrown with ivy and look spooky but mostly I felt a sense of peace. The oddest thing about the place is the massive, modern football pitch and stadium looming in the background. We also encountered some massively bold squirrels. Kara thought they were going to jump on our head but I knew we'd be just fine.

After that we headed towards Tower Bridge. Kara was working promotions for a sweet little tea place called Tea Pod. We stopped in early for a lovely lunch. I had cream tea and Kara had this amazing mint and pea soup. Yum! She headed off to work and I went to tour The Tower of London. Was quite surreal to be there. Got a fairly informative tour from one of the Beefeaters. They live on the grounds of the tower which I never knew. I saw the crown jewels, etc and I enjoyed myself.

Kara came and found me after work and we ate at Waggamama. Anyone from NYC who hasn't been there, it's like Republic in Union Square only yummier! Dinner ended and we headed to the hi light of the day... The Globe Theatre! We were seeing Troilus and Cressida. Neither of us had ever seen it performed so we were quite excited. We lined up early and got to stand directly at the stage's edge. While the acting was uneven in spots (the Cressida, Agamemnon, and Ulysses were phenomenal!) the entire vibe of being there was magic. I was totally enthralled the whole time and the music was wildly enchanting. After the show we got drinks at The Swan, the bar at the theater, and saw all of the actors. It was a perfect London evening and it just made me want to spend more and more time in that city.